Illustration of tiger
- tiger 1a
plural tigers
1
plural also tiger
a
: a large Asian carnivorous mammal (Panthera tigris) of the cat family having a usually tawny coat transversely striped with black
b
: any of several large wildcats (such as the jaguar or cougar)
c
: a domestic cat with striped pattern
d
Australia
: tasmanian tiger
2
a
: a fierce, daring, or aggressive person or quality
aroused the tiger in him
a tiger for work
b
: someone or something (such as a situation) that is formidable or impossible to control
how the tiger of inflation can be tamed—
J. A. Davenport
—often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
J. A. Davenport3
British
: a groom in livery
tigerishly
adverb
tigerishness
noun
Examples of tiger in a Sentence
He was a tiger on the basketball court.
even the best defense can't keep that tiger from scoring
Recent Examples on the Web
The singer sported a tiger print minidress adorned with crystals, beads and fringe.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 18 Aug. 2024
After its escape, the owl landed in a tiger enclosure, where it was killed and eaten, according to multiple reports.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024
In April, the Eurasian eagle owl flew away from a handler during a training session and landed on the ground of an outdoor tiger enclosure where it was eaten, according to an inspection report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024
Sumatran tigers are an island subspecies native to Sumatra and critically endangered, with fewer than 400 remaining in the wild, according to the Zoological Society of London.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiger 
Hannah Malach, WWD, 18 Aug. 2024
After its escape, the owl landed in a tiger enclosure, where it was killed and eaten, according to multiple reports.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024
In April, the Eurasian eagle owl flew away from a handler during a training session and landed on the ground of an outdoor tiger enclosure where it was eaten, according to an inspection report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024
Sumatran tigers are an island subspecies native to Sumatra and critically endangered, with fewer than 400 remaining in the wild, according to the Zoological Society of London.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiger
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tiger
noun
ti·ger
ˈtī-gər 
plural tigers also tiger
1
: a large Asian flesh-eating mammal of the same family as the domestic cat with a coat that is typically light brown to orange with mostly vertical black stripes
2
: any of several large wildcats (as the jaguar or cougar)
3
: a domestic cat with a striped coat
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